Hildegard of Bingen embarked on one of the most creative outpourings in history after a mystical experience in her early 40s.
The 12thcentury nun Hildegard of Bingen was a late bloomer. But what a late bloomer. A visionary experience in her early 40s led to one of the most extraordinary creative outpourings in history. We’ll explore her life and work at the Revue Cinema, Sunday January 20 at 11 a.m. The event is a repeat of one of our most popular Extraordinary Women screenings.
On the program:
- Vocalist Krystina Lewicki, a medieval music specialist, singing several of Hildegard’s compositions.
- The 50-minute documentary, In the Symphony of the World: A Portrait of Hildegard of Bingen.
- A panel discussion and Q&A with author Teri Degler, who has written about women mystics and creativity; medieval manuscript specialist Rebecca Golding, who will discuss the remarkable images in Hildegard’s writings; and Krystina, with her musical perspective.
Hildegard may have worn a habit, but she donned many hats: poet and composer, herbalist and healer; theologian and abbess; cosmologist and medical writer, playwright and politician. A true polymath, she wrote about everything — from theology to female sexuality, botany to beer making, while connecting with the most prowerful personages of her times.
As the New York Times described her, she was “before the Renaissance, a Renaissance woman.”
Tickets for the event are $11 (plus a $1.11 fee) on Eventbrite and $15 at the door.
Proceeds from this fundraising event will help support Back Lane Studios’ programs. We would like to thank the Revue Cinema for their generous donation of the theatre for this screening.
About the Documentary: Produced by Flare Productions, 1999, 50 minutes. Directed by Jo Francis and John Fuegi.
About our Experts:
Teri Degler: An award winning author, Teri has 11 books to her credit, including The Fiery Muse: Creativity and the Spiritual Quest (Random House of Canada). Teri teaches workshops on creativity and writing in the U.S. and Canada. For years she has researched yoga philosophy, the divine feminine and highly creative women mystics. Her freelance writing has appeared in many publications, including the Toronto Star. Her latest book,The Divine Feminine Fire: Creativity and Your Yearning to Express Your Self, was a No. 1 Amazon Bestseller in Canada in two spiritual categories. (www.teridegler.com)
Krystina Lewicki will accompany her singing with a 65-string bandura.
Krystina Lewicki: Krystina performs a wide range of early music but reserves her deepest love for Hildegard’s compositions. She will perform chants from Hildegard’s cycle of 70 songs known as the Celestial Harmonies, arranged for the bandura (65 plucked strings) and drone instruments. Over the last 15 years, Krystina has performed with the Hildegard Project, Cordium Voces, Trio San Nome. She is a member of the Women’s Bandura Ensemble of North America, performing in Chicago (Harris Theatre), Cleveland, Detroit, New Jersey, Miami, and her vocal/percussion arrangement of “Gaudete” was recently premiered at Cairns Recital Hall, St. Catharines and the Toronto Centre for the Arts.
Rebecca Golding: A Harvard-trained lawyer, Rebecca abandoned the legal profession in favour of medieval history and art, a passion she discovered as an undergraduate. She embarked on a PhD program at U of T, where she studied early medieval art, with a focus on 12thcentury German medical manuscripts.
About the Revue Cinema:
Location: A community-run cinema, The Revue is located at 400 Roncesvalles Ave., Toronto M6R 2M9, near High Park.
Transit and Directions: The cinema is easily accessible by TTC, located about a 10 minute walk south of the Dundas-West subway station. The College and King streetcars have stops at Roncesvalles and Howard Park Ave., steps from the Revue. The Dundas streetcar has a stop two blocks north. To find your most direct route, see Triplinx planner. To find driving or biking directions, see google maps directions
Parking: Metered parking is available on Roncesvalles Ave (free Sunday mornings until 1 p.m.) and free parking on side streets. Free parking is also available outside of school hours in the parking lot of the Howard Junior Public School (South side of Howard Park Ave., just west of Roncesvalles Ave).